Breath deflector or guard.



J. E. COOPER. BREATH DEFLEOTOB. OR GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 23, 1912.

Patented 0013.28, 1913.

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JOSEPH EVANS COOPER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BREATH DEFLEGTOR OIL GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

P te ted 0 28, 1913.

Application filed December 23, 1912. .Serial N 0. 738,292.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. Coornn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago,in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Breath Deflectors orGuards; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a sanitary breath deflector or guardespecially designed for use by barbers and dentists for use onthemselves and customers.

One object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed andeficient device for.

preventing the breath of the user from issuing straight forward and tocauseit to be discharged to one side or toward the rear and thus preventits coming in contact with a person in front of the user.

NVith this and other objects in 'view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement ofparts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a top plan view ofthis improved guard; Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation thereof; Fig. 3is a detail longitudinal sec tion taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig.4 is a detail perspective view of the reinforcing member for the noseopening; Fig. 5 is a similar view of one of the clamping levers.

Very often the breath of barbers, dentists and the like is objectionableto the patient or customer and vice versa and often times is unsanitaryand causes infection should the operator or the patient be affected withcatarrh, tuberculosis or some other infections disease, and it is toavoid this-unpleasantness and danger that this device is designed.

In the embodiment illustrated the breath deflecting casing 1 is showncomposed of rubber or any suitable material, said casing beingsubstantially are shaped and preferably tapering toward its ends toadapt it to occupy as small a space as possible. As shown this casing 1is composed of two tubular members tapering toward "one end and withtheir large ends arranged adjacent to each other and connected to formvthe are shaped casing.

The adjacent large ends of these tubes are out out to form a.

cut out nose opening 2 which is designed to fit over the nostrils of thewearer and is reinforced on its edge by any suitable meansya loop shapedlongitudinally curved wire 3 bemg here shown housed in a casingsurrounding said opening formed by the. cut I out portions of. theadjacent tubes. The sides of the tube opposite the openings "or portionsare curved inwardly and provided with pockets to be described.

of the loop 3 and has an out-struck loop 5 to receive a spring 6 the useof which will be hereinafter described. This bar 1 also has bearings 7on its side edges in which are pivotally mounted gripping or guardretaining levers 8. These levers are const-ructed as shown in Figs. 3and 5 with flat nose gripping fingers or plates 9 ofiset inwardly fromthe body portions thereof and designed to .be housed in the pockets 11which project laterally into the casing opposite the opening 2 therein.The body portions of these levers project forwardly and are provided attheir outer ends with operating elements or handles 10 herein shown inthe form of disks which are designed to be pressed toward each otheragainst the tension of the spring 6 which bears against the opposedfaces of said levers, for forcing the clamping or gripping plates 9outward A cross bar 41 connects the side members to permit the partitionbetween the nostrils to pass between said plates 9. When the handles 10are released the spring 6 forces the outer ends of the levers apart,thus forcing their inner clamping ends 9 toward each other into grippingengagement with the nose partition thereby reliably holding the devicein operative position. The spring 6 is preferably U-shaped as shownclearly in Fig. 3, but any other form of spring may be employed.

The bar 4 extends ing 1 on the outer face thereof opposite the opening 2therein and forms a connection between the tubes forming the casing andalso serves to close said tubes at this point to prevent the breath ofthe user from passing outbetween the ends of the tubes. The wire loop 3which is inserted within a ing around the opening 2 forms a reinforcefor said opening to. hold it in proper position against the nose of'thewearer, the upwardly curved portion 3 thereof being designed to fitclosely against the lip below the nose.

transversely of the cascas- The pockets 11 may be constructed in anysuitable manner and are shown composed of the ends of the tubes foldedback and secured by any suitable means and which are designed to formcushioning means for the clamping plates or fingers 9 of the levers andthereby prevent injury to the partition of the nose with which they areengaged. V

In the application of this device being in the position shown in Figs. 1and 2,

the parts the handles 10 are engaged between the finqgers of the otherthereby forcing the pockets 11 containing the clamping *cient distanceto permit them to be inserted in the nostrils of the wearer on oppositeuser and pressed toward each fin ers 9 apart a suffisides of the nosepartition and when the; handles are released they firmly grip saidlpartition and position over the nose of the user. open ends of thecasing are dlrected by the hold thedevice in operative; The 1 peculiarcurvature thereof toward the rear of the head and so discharge thebreath in that direction.

\Vhile I have described my invention with 15 more or less minuteness asregards details;

and as being embodied in certain precise forms, I do not desire to belimited thereto unduly any more than is pointed out in the 7 claims. Onthe contrary, I contemplate all proper changes in form, construction andarrangement; the omission of immaterial elements and substitution ofequivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient.

I claim as my invention:

1. A breath guard comprising'a tubular casing having an opening in oneside wall; thereof, clamping levers fulcrumed in the Uop'ies of thispatent may be obtained for other, and

wall of said casing opposite said opening with their gripping endsprojecting into the casing and resilient means mounted outside saidcasing for forcing the clamping ends of the levers normally toward eachother.

2. A breath guard comprising a tubular casing having an opening thereinintermediate of its ends, longitudinally spaced levers fulcrumed on saidcasing with their inner ends offset inwardly to position them in closerelation, said ends extending laterally into said casing from its innerface,

the other'ends of said levers being arranged Outside said casing, and aspring arranged between said levers outside the casing for forcing theirouter ends apart and their inner ends toward each other.

3. A breath guard comprising a tubular casing having an opening in oneside wall intermediately of its ends, said opening extendingsubstantially the entire width. of said casing, a longitudinally curvedwire loop arranged around the edge of said openfive cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, .0. C.

